HikeArizona.COM

Hi all,

I sadly had to leave the AZT last year early, but I'm giving it another go this spring. After experiencing a few of the stock tanks, I'm second-guessing my water purification methods. I had been using a SteriPEN in a 1-liter bottle that was filtered through some fine tea filters that fit conveniently over the bottle's mouth, but didn't always seem to catch everything. So I'm wondering, what's everyone's favorite method of water purification?

Sawyer Squeeze or many people are now using the Mini Sawyer Squeeze.....It's Fast, it's Light and it's very very Easy to Field Clean and Flush....

I used an MSR Miniworks for about half the trail before I switched to a Sawyer Mini for the rest. I like the Sawyer better. I met several thru-hikers that were using a Steripen and were happy with it. I also met a few using the Sawyer Mini and they were happy with it.

Good reading from a decade of water treatment!: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=1329
Or more recently: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=8593

I use an MSR Autoflow for reasonably clear water. I'll still use MSR Miniworks for the nastiest water, but it sure is a lot more work. My backup is a Sawyer Mini.

Awesome! Thanks for the great recommendations!

Except for the limited cartridge capacity the Sawyer Mini, http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacki ... awyer-Mini, sounds like a MUST buy to me.

I have been using a Katadyn Hiker Pro for years now, nice solid pump filter but it checks in at almost a pound. I have found it to be a great system, filter is good for hundreds of gallons. I do have a Sawyer mini as a backup/ lightweight alternative, works well but I really like my pump filter for unknown conditions.

I went with a Sawyer Squeeze and never looked back. It's light, it's intuitive, it just makes sense to me.

While everyone is sitting around pumping or waiting on gravity to filter their water, I can chug away by simply filling my empty smart water bottles, screwing and the sawyer, and drinking.

@DallinW
The pump does take longer to filter, but I can get a gallon of water filtered in 5 minutes so not an eternity. I like not having to worry about dirty/ clean bottles and cross contamination. The carbon filter takes out most of the funky taste from less-than-pure sources. Plus, with the pump and draw tube I only need about an inch of water to be able to filter...

Another vote for Sawyer Squeeze. My Steripen, pump and chemicals are all gathering dust.

@The Dude
I don't worry about Clean/Dirty Bottles at all...I have a Backpacker's Bucket that I use if I can't seem to fill up the Bags straight from the Water Source. Then I just pour from the Bucket in the Bag... No Dirty Bottles... And the Filter fits perfectly over Liter Pop Bottles which are much lighter than Nalgene Bottles....I carry one Wide-Mouthed Bottle to make Siphoning Clean Water for Backflushing easier....

I love my Steripen for when I know I'll have pretty clear water-- I would never use it to purify water from a cow tank Its simple and you don't have to clean it. I like the Sawyer for everything else. I've pretty much given up on my Katadyn-- its heavy, clunky, and a pain to clean. I always have tablets for backup.

Thank you cavaroc for staring this discussion. I had never heard of the Sawyer Mini before joining this discussion. But I an now the proud owner of a new Sawyer Mini.

Like the "Dude" I use the Katadyn Hiker Pro. Maybe a bit bulky for some but I have used water from sources that your steripen isn't going close to. Once I have run through my carry on supply of water, 100+ oz, I pump and boil all my water. A friend had a steripen on a Colorado trip and wouldn't you know, somebody forgot batteries. Lucky for him and others somebody had a Katadyn. I'm sure there are many options, this is mine and it's never failed.

My turn, I have a MSR hyper flow, a platypus gravity filter and a sawyer squeeze....

Sawyer is hands down the best of the bunch, lighter way cheaper, easy to back-flush and can be converted into a gravity filter pretty easy as well...MSR is great, but very tough to back flush in the field and replacement filters are expensive, gravity is great when staying in one spot for a long time, but replacement filters are also costly...

Filter schmilter! :GB:

Do what I do (along with some other upstanding members of the HAZ community!)

@AZDigger
Funny, I had that happen to me up in Washington a few summers ago. I went on a really long dayhike with my friend that lives there, asked him if I needed to bring my filter from AZ and he said nope, got it covered. Got 8 miles into the backcountry to find out his batteries were dead...No other option than to just go ahead and drink untreated and hope for no Beaver Fever...turned out OK but that will never happen again on my watch. I usually carry the Sawyer squeeze in my daypack as a just in case, not uncommon for me to bring both on backpack trips.

@chumley
Hmmm. Well, it's not the end of the world, I guess.

hah...sorry, BrunoP. I probably won't resort to that in the desert. Of course here in Jackson Hole I've been spoiled with good water, so that's why I've only had a Steripen. I've even had my share of untreated water and been fine, but those stock tanks along the AZT made me realize the Steripen won't cut it down there.

Sounds like I'll be giving the Sawyer Squeeze a go and see how that pans out. Fortunately it sounds like there are a lot of great alternatives if that doesn't work out for some reason.